Views from Pole Mountain

We had a great summer at Bay Camp!

We’ve acquired a new property with redwoods and steelhead in the wildlife corridor!

(SANTA ROSA, CALIF., March 29, 2018) ­— Sonoma Land Trust has closed escrow on a 40-acre property next to Hood Mountain Regional Park that contains the last stand of redwoods in the upper Santa Rosa Creek watershed, and that is part of a major regional wildlife linkage.

Injured hawk rehabbed and released at Sears Point Ranch

After the fires, our Baylands manager found a badly injured hawk trapped in burnt fencing at Sears Point Ranch. Thanks to Sonoma County Wildlife Rescue, the bird was rehabilitated and able to be released over the holidays. Watch the video above and read the full story in our Mountains + Molehills blog.

Sonoma County Region Fire History 1939 to 2017

Sonoma County Region Fire History 1939 to 2017 is an interactive animated map showing prior fires in and around Sonoma County over the past eight decades.

Sonoma Land Trust donates 1,665-acre ranch to Regional Parks

Doubles size of Tolay Lake Regional Park

March 3, 2017 ­— In November of 2007, Sonoma Land Trust purchased a 1,665-acre property in southern Sonoma County at risk of subdivision and vineyard development and named it Tolay Creek Ranch. The acquisition of Tolay Creek Ranch also completed the protection of a 7,500-acre wildlife corridor extending from the foothills of Sonoma Mountain to the bay. With sweeping views of San Francisco Bay, dazzling wildflower displays and plenty of space for hiking, the ranch was well suited to becoming a park — particularly since it is situated adjacent to 1,737-acre Tolay Lake Regional Park. Today, after nearly 10 years of resource assessments, habitat enhancement and creek restoration activities, Sonoma Land Trust has donated Tolay Creek Ranch to Sonoma County Regional Parks, a move that will double the size of Tolay Lake park.

Towering old-growth forest … protected forever

Old-growth redwoods at Howlett Ranch.

April 19, 2017 — The project has been completed. Howlett Ranch is now protected for all time!

February 21, 2017 ­— Back in 2014, Sonoma Land Trust began working to help a family on the North Coast protect their 1,380-acre property that includes one of the last remaining intact old-growth forests in Sonoma County. The property is also adjacent to Buckeye Forest, the former Preservation Ranch, and so provides desirable habitat connectivity. Thanks to the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, Sonoma Land Trust provided the landowners with a loan that enabled them to keep their forest intact until they could complete the sale of a conservation easement to our partner, the Sonoma County Agricultural Preservation and Open Space District. In the meanwhile, our acquisitions staff also secured additional funding from the Moore Foundation ($1.28 million) and The San Francisco Foundation ($50,000) toward the $6.13 million easement cost. Today, we’re excited to announce that the Open Space District received approval this week from its Board of Directors (the Board of Supervisors) to purchase the conservation easement over Howlett Ranch. “Projects like this one are important because it takes generations to restore old-growth redwood habitat — so we need to protect what remains now while we have the chance,” says land acquisition project manager Ariel Patashnik.